Hungry Chefs - Private Chef and Catering Services

"From inception to realisation this dream duo made a surprise birthday event for my wife a memory to treasure forever. The dream team made everything so easy and there was nothing that phased them even when I set alight to the chimney in the drawing room and had to nearly call the fire brigade, the guys were so professional and nothing was an issue, they were so calm under the pressure. The food is another level and it felt like we had a Michelin star restaurant in our very own home. Everything was of the upmost quality and presentation was something worthy of a master chef final! You will feel like a Hollywood superstar or royalty with these two in your kitchen. We went to sleep with our bellies full of the finest cooked produce and a wonderful story to tell for a long time. We will be doing this again that’s for sure.

Best culinary experience we’ve ever had!

Nicky & Bex"

"What a professional service from start to finish., to celebrate a significant birthday. I was helped through the choice of courses to ensure that all our guests would enjoy the tasting menu, even to the extent that at the last minute one guest developed a problem with milk and medication and this was accommodated for.
Umberto arrived on time and just got on with the job. Nothing appeared to phase him, coming into a rental holiday cottage with limited facilities.
The food was absolutely amazing. The presentation, considering the limited crockery selection, was beautiful. We have eaten taster menus in several high class restaurants, and all agreed this was one of the best. The portion sizes being spot on, as we were able to enjoy every single dish without feeling full, but completely satisfied.
Overall it was a fantastic experience, and Umberto left 6 very satisfied guests and a spotless kitchen. Many thanks."

Hen Party Chef
I can’t begin to say how amazing this company and service was …. they made a special night even more special .
The whole package start to finish was amazing and even when we changed things at short notice they were brilliant . The food was fantastic and we will definitely be using this service again ! ❤️

Wife's 80th Birthday Celebration with family and friends

All 12 of us thoroughly enjoyed the superb meal that you provided. It made such a contribution to what was obviously such an important day in our lives. I am sure that apart from the culinary skills that you have, the success of the evening was in no small measure down to the time you were prepared to give in discussing and advising on the menu that we finally adopted. Your preparation and presentation on the evening was exemplary. We are seldom in the South West, but if ever we are, we would have no hesitation in calling upon your services again.

We used Hungry Chefs for a special meal to celebrate my Mum’s 70th birthday whilst on holiday in Devon. It was a real pleasure booking through Claire who took the time to get to know a little more about our evening, my Mum’s background and dietary likes/dislikes. Umberto created a wonderful menu for us and came prepared with all he needed to deliver a truly spectacular meal. Delicious fresh scallops, melt in the mouth lamb and a divine light lemon pud. It was a lovely experience from start to finish. I can highly recommend Hungry Chefs for others out there looking for a delicious, high end meal served in your home.

Wedding Buffet

Nothing short of Spectacular. Definitely Special!

Claire and Umberto were fantastic from start to finish and made our wedding that bit extra special. Having authentic Italian food was a major requirement for us and they certainly delivered. As half of our guests were Italian it was massively important. They listened to all of our requests and made suggestions of their own to help make it a cohesive menu.

They invited us for a tasting in their lovely home and provided a small feast. The Arancini they made were spot on and just as good, if not better than the ones we used to have in Rome. We have had nothing but excellent feedback from all of the guests and we could not be happier. So much so that we are looking for any excuse to plan another event to book them again.

Best chef in the UK

Claire and Umberto were brilliant! From booking to the event the communication was excellent. Claire was always happy to help with the organising of the event. On the evening, Claire and Umberto arrived and were friendly and it was a lovely relaxed atmosphere. They cooked and served the food, it was delicious! They made sure everyone was happy and they left the place spotless. Thank you for creating such a relaxed evening to celebrate my sister’s 30th. None of the group had ever had a private chef cook for them and we all said we would definitely do it again!

"Thank you so much for your efforts and sheer quality over the two nights.  The food really was consistently surprising and sensational, and the presence of the two of you - your friendliness, charm and effortless lack of intrusiveness (while still feeling an integral part of the company) - was appreciated more than I can say.  And appreciated even more perhaps once we'd had the caterers on the Saturday night - I'm not wanting to complain or criticise them, they did a decent job in many ways, but there really was no comparison. 

We ate our food and enjoyed a particularly busy and raucous final night, nothing could detract from that, but we still missed you.  Missed the endless references back to the food through the night and re-savouring of each element, from canapés right through to dessert (too many comments about different dishes to relay them all to you, but every last one of them emphatically in the superlative).  Also, a little absurdly perhaps, considering you were there doing a job of work (if one with great skill, care and dedication behind it), we felt so warmly towards you both that we kind of wished you'd been there just to meet the Saturday night crowd, to hear the speech my wife made that night, let alone to cook for them, for everyone to be able to experience Umberto's flair and brilliance.

Thank you again, and hope to see you another time."

"I just wanted to say a massive thank you to you both for Friday night. The food was completely amazing but what made it an even better experience was how easy you made it for me to organise it all.
So thank you again, we would recommend you to anyone!"

"Thank you so much for your efforts and sheer quality over the two nights. The food really was consistently surprising and sensational, and the presence of the two of you – your friendliness, charm and effortless lack of intrusiveness (while still feeling an integral part of the company) – was appreciated more than I can say. And appreciated even more perhaps once we’d had the caterers on the Saturday night – I’m not wanting to complain or criticise them, they did a decent job in many ways, but there really was no comparison. We ate our food and enjoyed a particularly busy and raucous final night, nothing could detract from that, but we still missed you. Missed the endless references back to the food through the night and re-savouring of each element, from canapés right through to dessert (too many comments about different dishes to relay them all to you, but every last one of them emphatically in the superlative). Also, a little absurdly perhaps, considering you were there doing a job of work (if one with great skill, care and dedication behind it), we felt so warmly towards you both that we kind of wished you’d been there just to meet the Saturday night crowd, to hear the speech my wife made that night, let alone to cook for them, for everyone to be able to experience Umberto’s flair and brilliance.

Thank you again, and hope to see you another time."

This was the first time I had booked a personal chef and I was not disappointed. From the initial enquiry, to choosing the menu and then final arrangements Claire was friendly and professional. On the evening of our special celebration Umberto and Claire produced a fabulous meal, tasty and beautifully presented. And they left the kitchen spotlessly clean and tidy. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They made our celebration a night to remember.

"Claire and Umberto were an incredible team! They catered for all dietary requirements and gave us multiple options on dish choices. They provided complimentary canapés that Claire personally served and they were delicious and Umberto created a fantastic main course and dessert! The food was delicious and the service spot on!
Well done to Umberto and Claire"

Claire and Umberto are a great team. Communication throughout was excellent. A pleasure to be able to work with Claire, when compiling our choice of menu in advance. Food inspirational and delicious, prepared to the highest standard. Wonderful imaginative canapés served by Claire prior to being seated.The three course meal equally delicious presented at the table, with full description of the food by Umberto. Service was professional, friendly and discreet. Following the meal, the kitchen was left immaculate. What joy! Our party of nine thoroughly enjoyed the event and would like to convey our delight and thanks to both Claire and Umberto for making the evening so special. Thank you Claire and Umberto.

Claire and Umberto were fantastic. Great food, very nicely served for a party of 16. They were very professional. Very easy communication with Claire regarding the menu. There was no problem to serve a different main for children. I would highly recommend Umberto as a chef to anyone.

Fantastic food. Fantastic service. Top notch 4 course dinner for 16 of us. Good value, good service, efficient and very friendly. I highly recommend Hungry Chefs. Could not have asked for more! Thank you Umberto and Claire

"Umberto treated us to a delicious 7 course taster menu for my family at a joint 50th and 75th birthday dinner party held in our home. From the very first contact with Umberto and Claire the approach was not only flexible and accommodating but exceptionally professional.

On the day, they arrived promptly and everything played out as planned, the food was not only a delight to see, so beautifully created, a real work of art, but each course also tasted divine, each and every course.

Once the meal was completed the kitchen was left spotless and Umberto and Claire quietly left us to enjoy the remainder of the evening, a complete success. One particularly nice touch was Umberto’s introduction to each course, the ingredients, the cooking technique and its history, rounding off a super experience. Highly recommended."

"The whole process was made incredibly easy. Our chef Umberto was superb in every way and we wouldn’t hesitate to book him again.

Umberto was super, he was professional, his food was faultless and he left the kitchen spotless. He also handled a group of rather drunk girls pestering him very well!

The menu “Middle Eastern Delights ” was delicious and exactly what I’d hoped for. Umberto was also very accommodating to our request to cater for Vegetarian and gluten free guests."

"Right from the start he was so professional , always on top of emails , coming up with lots of ideas for the menu , nothing was too much trouble .

And what a chef, absolutely brilliant . The meal he cooked for us was superb, all our guests were bowled over , by the presentation , the wonderful flavours , the high standard of the ingredients , and not to forget his friendly charm which was so important .

He was happy to talk to any guests who had an interest in how he was cooking .

He came into a kitchen he did not know and cooked us a feast !

He didn’t fuss , he never intruded , it was an absolute pleasure to meet such a talented chef .

His food gave my husband a 70th birthday meal ,none of us will ever forget .

I think the greatest compliment was , after it was over, all the guests were trying to work out when they themselves could find something to celebrate in order to get Umberto back to cook again !"

"Umberto cooked a Super-Premium Sicilian menu which was designed and adapted to accommodate 6 adults, one of whom is vegan, and one child. We chose to celebrate my husband’s 70th birthday at a holiday lodge with our family. We were put in touch with Umberto who was both flexible in designing the menu and has a good knowledge of vegan recipes. We were so impressed with Umberto’s calm and professional manner throughout the experience. He was brilliant in delivering delicious and well cooked Sicilian food, in particular the imaginative vegan alternatives.

Thank you so much for serving us such a delicious Sicilian meal. My husband was really impressed with every part of the menu and we all appreciated your calm and professional approach. You have made this celebration week-end really memorable."

My family arranged a cooking lesson with Umberto so he taught me how to cook a 3 course meal for my wife on our anniversary. Umberto was phenomenal. A truly fantastic experience and exceptional food was made :) he's an amazing chef a great teacher and all round top guy. Would thoroughly recommend him to anyone. Thank you so much for this brilliant experience :)

Umberto was a replacement chef as the original chef turned out to be double-booked. Umberto was helpful and completely flexible when it came to my proposed amendments to the menu, and the food on the night was absolutely superb. He was efficient, pleasant and interesting and I cannot praise him too highly.

Umberto arrived on time and set about creating the meal in a very professional manner while cheerfully answering questions from interested guests. All of the courses were exceptional from the chefs assortment of canapes to the delicious sweat. The whole experience exceeded my expectations due to chef Umberto's cheerful disposition and undoubted professional ability, making my wife's birthday a day to remember.

"The meal by Umberto was simply wonderful! We LOVED every bite! Umberto was the perfect chef - very well organized, served everything with the agreed timing - and graciously worked with what we had available to us there (sorry about the freezer - we actually found it in the Garden Room the next day!!)
The flavours in every dish were delightful - and everything looked beautiful too. It really was a fitting meal for George's 90th birthday. We wanted to make the event special. He does not like too much ""fuss"", but he appreciates excellent food. We really hit the perfect balance! Eating our meal out in the church part of The Priory at the dining table there was really special. I am glad that I chatted about the eating location with Umberto and followed his advice not to eat at the kitchen table.
It was a real treat to walk into the kitchen and see it perfectly cleaned up. Normally, I would not get to enjoy the meal so much, because I would be running around in the kitchen and then also doing the clean-up. I really appreciated being able to fully participate in the celebration meal (and my cooking is nowhere near as good as Umberto's!)
Our sincere thanks and appreciation to Umberto for the fabulous experience."